


Realizations Of A Countess

by YOLO1882



Category: Twelfth Night - Shakespeare
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fight me peasants, Friends to Lovers, Gen, My attempt at fixing the ending of Twelfth Night, Olivia and Viola are so gay for eachother
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-05
Updated: 2016-09-04
Packaged: 2018-08-13 02:32:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7958932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YOLO1882/pseuds/YOLO1882
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Basically my crackfic fantasy about Countess Olivia coming to the realization that she married the wrong person just when it is too late. </p><p>Or is it? ;)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo...long story short, this idea just came to me after having to read Twelfth Night for my English class. I got a really really gay vibe from Shakespeare and was disappointed that Olivia didn't marry Viola at the end. Therefore, I decided to write my own version of what might have happened after the characters got their dreadfully hetero-normative happily ever afters and whatnot.
> 
> If gay stories aren't really your thing, then I highly advise you to leave immediately. I've always found it funny how homophobic people would waste all their time and energy looking for gay content that they have no absolutely no business being a part of, and then proceeding to ruin the fun for everyone else with their vile hatred. As for the rest of you, proceed at your own risk and please leave a review if you can! =)

The stars glittered upon the shroud of night that covered over Illyria. The moon hung in the sky like a great illuminated lantern against that dark background. Melodious songs of chirping crickets played throughout the night in consistent rhythm. Indeed, the atmosphere was quite serene and humid like any other summer night.

As the rest of the world was sound asleep, Countess Olivia was still awake, sitting at the desk in her bedroom and being lost in thought. Her dark and luxurious curls hung elegantly down to her mid-back. She also wore a cotton robe over her silken nightgown, which traced the curves of her slender body. The only source of light in the room was a single wax candle held in a silver candle holder. Sebastian, Olivia's husband of little over a year, laid in bed softly snoring behind her. He was a handsome fellow, with chiseled features, bright blue eyes and golden hair.

Olivia's lips curled to form a small smile when her thoughts inevitably went to Sebastian's twin sister, Viola, who is going to wed her former suitor, the Duke Orsino.

~~~~~~~~ ** _Flashback_** ~~~~~~~~~

_"All I can say is, congratulations to you both on your engagement, Viola and Orsino! You two are the most beautiful couple I've ever known and I look forward to attending your wedding. Thank you so much for inviting us."_

_"Why, of course! What kind of sister would I be if I don't invite my brother and his lovely wife to the wedding the century? It wouldn't be as magnificent without you there to celebrate our union with us. I hope our marriage will be just as loving and wonderful as yours."_

_"Of that, I have no doubt, sister."_

_"Thank you, Olivia. Also, I was wondering if you're willing to be my Maid of Honor at the ceremony. I'm afraid I don't have many friends in Illyria, and I just can't think of anyone I trust more than you."_

_"Oh, Viola, it would be my utmost pleasure to serve as your Maid of Honor! Of course I'll say yes!"_

_Viola smiled, for she was touched, and then they hugged._

_~~~~~~ **End of flashback** ~~~~~~_

That was everything Olivia could remember from the engagement party. The wedding was set to take place in a week at a nearby cathedral. The Duke had wanted for them to get married a year ago, but Viola insisted that they courted first before rushing into any marriage. Olivia thought that was a smart thing to do, even though she herself married Sebastian on sight.

In her hand, the Countess held an invitation to Viola and Orsino's wedding. It contained golden letters written in cursive and printed on high quality lavender paper, all bordered by flowers and angels. Olivia knew she should be happy for the couple, but now as she is looking over the content of the invitation, all she could feel was... _sadness_. Her brows became slightly scrunched in confusion; How was it possible for her to be sad by something so joyous as a wedding? It just didn't make any sense to her.

Overcome with weariness, the Countess allowed herself to melt back into her chair and briefly closed her eyes.

While she did, her mind traveled back to the very beginning of when this all started. Olivia first met Viola when she was dressed as boy and had been sent by the lovesick Duke Orsino to do his wooing. Now that she thought about it, Olivia did felt a little sorry for the Duke; No matter how hard he pined for her, she was never going to be interested in him. In an ironic twist, she somehow ended up falling head over heels for Viola, or "Cesario" as she was called then. So while the Duke chased after her, she was chasing Viola, and Viola chased after the Duke. The game went on until Viola finally revealed her true identity, and all the romantic passion that Olivia felt toward her was gone. Olivia then went on to marry her brother, Sebastian, who was identical to Viola's alter ego, Cesario. Sebastian was not one to complain and their marriage has been very compatible.

Olivia thought that she no longer held any feelings for Viola, but that wasn't the case. Even though she wasn't the man she fell in love with, the two of them quickly became great friends. They often spent many afternoons together, while the men were engaged in some kind of masculine sport, and kept each other company. Olivia took it upon herself to introduce Viola to the finer things in life, and presented her with many expensive dresses and jewelry. She admired Viola's musical abilities and would look fondly on all the times she played the piano and sang for her. Those were some of the most happiest moments of her life. Indeed, there was nobody else quite like Viola in this world; she was always so lively and and cheerful in everything she do. She always managed to brighten up a room with her spirited energy and charming personality. Many also found Viola to be very attractive, sharing her brother's blonde hair and blue eyes that are always shining with joy.

Over time as Olivia progressively got to know and understand the _real_ Viola, she became aware of this lingering feeling deep in her gut. It was present only when she is around Viola or thinks about Viola. She also began to notice how her heart practically fluttered every time Viola laughed, as well as how her skin tingled whenever their hands touched. Olivia found this to be a very strange phenomenon, but she couldn't figure out the reason behind it.

Olivia smiled to herself, for she often read about these things in romantic poems and love stories as a child.. These symptoms she were experiencing are rather similar to the ones endured by the fictional lovers of which she read about.

Suddenly, Olivia shot back up with her green eyes wide open, as a powerful revelation struck her being like an electric shock.

_Oh my God...I am in love with Viola!_

The Countess was absolutely stunned upon realizing the amazing truth. It took the effort of every fiber in her body for her not to panic aloud, as she did not want to awaken Sebastian. All she could do in that moment was bury her face in her trembling hands; the whirlwind of rampant emotions within her head made it nearly impossible to pull herself back together.

_My God, how could I have been so stupid! It all makes perfect sense now! I am in love with Viola...but why? How is this even possible? Yes I was in love with Cesario, but I'm married to Sebastian now. I thought there is nothing between me and Viola anymore...but it looks like I'm wrong. I, Countess Olivia, am still in love with the maiden Viola!_

Olivia's new-found joy was short-lived, and was quickly replaced with a sense of guilt because she is still married to Sebastian, who adores her. She tried telling herself that she did truly love him once, and she still does, but she can no longer ignore her feelings for Viola. Her guilt then morphed into unbearable sorrow when she caught sight of the wedding invitation on the desk, and was reminded that Viola loves someone else; It was like receiving a hard slap to the face. She loves someone who is not her, and just the thought of that made her heart ache with excruciating pain.

Hot tears welled up in her eyes and began racing down her face, as she bitterly cursed the fate that made her fall in love with a woman...especially one as beautiful, yet unattainable as this Viola.

A rustling sound coming from behind alerted her and caused her to pause at once.

"Olivia, darling?" Called a soft masculine voice, "It's terribly late, why are you still awake? Please come to bed now, dear."

Olivia hastily wiped her eyes and managed to reply with, "Oh dear, I guess I just lost track of time. I'm so sorry about that."

Standing up, she blew out the candle before walking to the bed and slipping under the covers. Sebastian released a low groan of satisfaction, and affectionately placed one arm across her stomach. Laying on her back with one arm under her head, Olivia turned look at Sebastian's sleeping face. She used one hand to gently caress his rugged cheek, but it lacked any kind of romantic tenderness. He reminded her so much of Viola that she almost burst into tears right in that moment.

In spite of the life they had shared together, Olivia knew with all her heart that she will never be able to feel the same way about him ever again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK so I actually wrote this story waaaay back in 2014 and has just not gotten around to finally publishing it. Sadly, my brain kind of pooped out and gave up while writing the second part because I wanted to work on other things. If anyone else want to continue this story for me, PM me or something and I'll reply as soon as possible.
> 
> In the meantime, enjoy what I have so far and please leave a review if you can. Thanks!

The wedding date arrived much faster than anyone had anticipated.

The sky was a pleasant blue that Sunday, with a few white clouds scattered here and there. Positioned high above in the center of it was the almighty sun, whose golden rays graced the earth below with warmth. It truly seemed like an ideal day to get married with the weather being so cooperative. Hopefully, it doesn't decide to change later on and ruin everything.

Everything was set and arranged down to the very last detail; the wedding should be perfect. Still, that didn't stop Viola from worrying anyway.

As Viola's Maid of Honor, Olivia was given the privilege of riding with her to the cathedral in a bridal carriage. The Countess wore her finest blue gown and had her dark hair arranged in a simple, yet elegant bun. However, she knew that she couldn't possibly compare with Viola the bride, who was a beautiful vision in her wedding dress.

Orsino spared no expense for he believed that his bride deserves the very best there was, and he did a fine job of that indeed. Olivia had never seen a dress so magnificent, with its shiny satin skirt and fancy lace bodice adorned with a pattern trimmed with gold thread. Tiny pearls were scattered across Viola's thin veil, which covered her long golden hair. Seeing how she was practically glowing, one may have thought she was an angel sent down from heaven.

_Never was there a bride so radiant as Viola is today. How is it that one of such divine beauty could possibly be the work of Man?_

It was exactly then that Olivia found herself unwillingly staring at Viola's enchanting beauty, causing her to lower her eyes and mentally scold herself for thinking such thoughts. Not only is Viola a very good friend to her and is the sister of her husband, but this is also her _wedding day_ for God's sake! It was simply all sorts of levels of wrong for her to be thinking this way about another person's fiance, especially if that fiance is a woman. Luckily for the Countess, Viola didn't notice her inappropriate staring due to her own eyes being glued to the window as she watched various natural scenes pass by. The soon-to-be Duchess didn't hide her anxiousness very well, as is the case will all brides, for she was constantly tapping her foot and tugging at the hem of her silken gloves during the entire ride. Her bouquet made of assorted lilies and violets laid limply in her lap.

Meanwhile, Olivia was also struggling with her own internal anxiety, which was threatening to eat her alive, but for completely different reasons. Ever since that fateful night when Olivia discovered that her feelings for Viola ran much deeper than sisterly friendship, the Countess had been unable to get the other woman out of her mind no matter how hard she tried. She is in _love_ with Viola and that was the cold, hard truth. She could no longer deny it, nor was there any way for her to change it. Olivia had never in her life felt anything like what she felt for Viola, with its all-consuming intensity taking hold of her entire being. It was a feeling that left her utterly breathless, instilled her with unimaginable amounts of passion, and made her want to shout at the world from the top of a mountain. Now that she was sitting in such close proximity with Viola, the object of her secret affections, Olivia could swore that her body was about to spontaneously combust at any given second. For the Countess, simply being near Viola had been both torture and a blessing.

Olivia's hands fiddled with the jewelry box that she kept hidden under her thick skirt layers. The poor woman was actually trying to build up enough courage in order to confess her true feelings to Viola. She had decided that this would be the best course of action to take, lest she should be driven mad by such a weighty secret. She desperately needed to get this matter off her chest as soon as possible. Of course, Olivia was still aware of the many consequences that could arise from this plan, chief among them being Viola becoming disgusted by her and losing the friendship of her dearest friend forever, but that was a risk that the Countess was willing to take in order to maintain her peace of mind.

So after a several minutes of attempting to calm her frantic nerves, Olivia finally made her move.

"Dear Viola, please forgive me asking, but are you feeling alright?" Spoke the Countess which instantly broke the ongoing streak of silence between them. "You just seem a bit...distracted lately, is all."

Viola seemed to jump a bit in her seat, obviously due to being caught off guard by the Countess's sudden inquiry. Nonetheless, she did manage a small smile as she turned toward Olivia and there was a hint of a pink blush upon her pale face. Olivia's breath hitched and her heart skipped a beat at the sight, because in her eyes, the blushing only contributed even more to Viola's loveliness. It required every ounce of willpower she could muster for the Countess to not kiss Viola right there and then, which would undoubtedly put her carefully laid out plan in jeopardy.

The future Duchess eventually responded with, "Oh, Olivia, nothing is wrong at all. I was only contemplating my wedding and how so surreal this all is." She then released a soft sigh as she leaned back against the carriage wall for support and stroke out the wrinkles on her skirt. "Everything just seemed to move so fast with Orsino that I could hardly keep up with him. He always did say that he wanted to experience a whirlwind courtship, filled with the passion and romance that are spoken about in poetry."

Olivia laughed in spite of herself at Viola's statement before speaking, "Why yes, I believe that does sound like Orsino, ever the hopeless romantic! So since you said that everything is moving too fast, do you...perhaps, regret the wedding?"

A part of Olivia really wanted for Viola to panic and cancel the wedding, despite how incredibly selfish it was of her.

"Oh...oh no! That's not what I'm implying at all!" Viola immediately clarified while shaking her head. She smiled and it was such an angelic smile that Olivia's heart might have burst right out of her chest. "Orsino is wonderful man, kind, caring, well-mannered...even if he is rather naive at times, but I certainly do not regret agreeing to marry him. I love him and will be happy being his Duchess. Though what I'm most concerned about, is for the wedding to be perfect."

Olivia's stomach felt like it had fallen into a deep pit as she listened to how fondly Viola spoke of the Duke. Jealousy was not an emotion that Olivia was entirely familiar with, and she definitely never expected to be jealous of the Duke Orsino, who just happened to be her former suitor. However, that still didn't stop a sharp pang of jealousy from striking her heart at the thought of Orsino being lucky enough to have the privilege of calling Viola his wife, being the one to take care of her, hold her, and love her for the rest of their lives. Having her intestines ripped out and her body drawn and quartered would have have been less painful than the agonizing heartbreak she was forced to endure.

If the Duke really did make Viola this happy, then that was all that should matter, Olivia told herself. All she could do in that moment was swallow down her feelings and give Viola the most believable smile she could muster, before leaning forward to lay a reassuring hand over one of Viola's."Have no fear, dear Viola, because as your Maid of Honor, I promise to do everything within my power to make sure that your wedding will be perfect, just the way you want it."

Upon hearing the Countess's words, Viola's smile grew wider until she was practically beaming, and she placed her own hand over Olivia's and squeezed it. "Thank you, dear sister Olivia, you have no idea how immensely grateful I am for everything that you've done for me."

Perhaps it was only her imagination pulling a cruel trick on her, but Olivia could almost swear that she saw something... _more_ , lingering behind Viola's platonic gaze.

Olivia's smile became somewhat genuine and she shook her head saying, "Oh, you shouldn't thank me just yet, dear sister, because I have yet to show you the wedding gift I have for you." Just as she was hoping for, Viola's expression instantly perked up with delightful interest. Olivia then pulled out a small rectangular jewelry box ceremoniously placed it upon Viola's lap. "Go ahead, Viola, open it up. I do hope you will like it."

The Countess relished in seeing Viola's blue eyes light up in such childlike curiosity as she gently ran her hands over the box's smooth wooden surface. Then her heart began to race rapidly as she watch Viola lift up the lid in order reveal the box's contents. Viola's eyes grew considerably wide, which Olivia took to be a most likely good sign.

"Oh Olivia…!" Gasped Viola in surprise as she held up an expensive and beautiful looking diamond necklace with a large sapphire in the center."This is so beautiful! I absolutely love it! Thank you so much for this brilliant gift, sister Olivia!"

"Ah, there's no need to thank me, dear Viola,"insisted Olivia for modesty's sake, even though she was secretly thrilled by Viola's reaction."Knowing that you love my gift is enough gratitude for me, really. There should also be a note in there somewhere…"

"Oh, yes, there is!" Exclaimed Viola excitedly, a folded piece of paper held in her hand. Olivia didn't think it was possible, but her heart rate continued to increase at an alarming pace as Viola unfolded the note and proceeded to read.

**To be continued...**


End file.
